Fatal Flaws
by ILoveHarryPotterForever
Summary: Why can't Lily Evans get James off her mind? What happens when at Hogwarts Lily finally realizes one thing, one fatal flaw: she's falling for James Potter. Dedicated to Graci-and-Cheri, the two best friends any girl could ask for. Currently on Haitus.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **You all might have seen this story before, or you might not have. My friends, Graci-and-Cheri, recently left this story to me. I promised them that I would finish it for them, so here it is.

I will try to write my best for you, my darling Graci and Cheri, and I hope I do your story justice. I'll love you both forever and ever.

And, just so everyone knows, the whole "uniform" thing is a prank from the Marauders.

Now onto the story.

**Disclaimer: Absolutely nothing you see here is mine. Not even the idea. The characters belong to J.K. Rowling and the idea is all Graci and Cheri. **

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><p><em>Fatal Flaws: Chapter One<em>

Petunia. That one word meant so much to Lily. She listened to everything that Petunia would say, and do everything Petunia told her to. Even now, about to start her Sixth year at Hogwarts.

One example: makeup! Before Hogwarts, Lily never wore makeup, but then Petunia told her that if she didn't wear it constantly everyone would hate her and she would have no friends. And little Lily believed every word. So, from that moment on she never left her house or dormitory without a mask of concealer on. Her friends never knew why, it masked her beauty and made her look so unlike her true self.

Today, right after Lily put on her makeup, she put her into its usual bun, another thing Petunia had convinced her to do with her elbow-length auburn hair. Then, slipping into some jeans and a sweatshirt, she then proceeded to the kitchen to eat a piece of toast with strawberry jam. Just as she sat comfortably in her seat by the window, the doorbell rang.

"Oh! That's probably Vernon!" Petunia said jumping up from her place by the bar. Lily sighed, she had recently been informed that Petunia had started dating this whale of a man, Vernon Dursley. He was perfect for Petunia, no-nonsense, brags about everything, and hates Lily. Even though he didn't know she was a witch, he though she went to St. Martha's School for Very Troubled Women, an obvious lie. Because, obviously, she didn't. She went to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!

Lily sighed as Petunia said something to whoever was at the door, it couldn't have been Vernon or else she would have invited him in. _Providing he could even get through the door! _she thought dryly.

She was still lost in her thoughts of Petunia and Vernon's relationship when Petunia shrieked her name.

"LILY! ONE OF YOUR LOT IS HERE TO SEE YOU, FREAK!" Petunia shrieked as she stalked into the kitchen, dragging a confused Lily to the door.

Once Lily managed to pry Petunia's bony fingers off her elbow, she finally was able to see who on earth was at the door.

Dressed entirely in muggle attire, Remus Lupin stood nervously at her doorstep. Still recognizable, she thought he looked quite dashing in his muggle jeans and worn t-shirt. His dirty blond hair had grown a few inches since she had last seen him, and though he was still pale, he had obviously spent more time in the sun. See, ever since last year, Lily had a little crush - that was now a BIG crush - on Remus. He was always so sweet and responsible, the most mature Marauder.

So, there she stood, looking (in her opinion) horrible, right in front of Remus.

"Oh! Er...hullo Remus..." Lily stammered nervously, fingering her old sweatshirt, mentally cursing herself for not wearing something better.

"Hullo Lily!" Remus responded cheerfully, then continued, "James sent me here-"

"James! As in Potter...oh, Merlin help me!" She interrupted him, scanning the neighborhood streets in fear. Once she realized he wasn't there she relaxed and let out a sigh of relief.

"Er...no, he's not here...he asked me to come and give you your birthday present from him, and I brought mine, too." As soon as the words left his lips Lily remembered that it was her birthday. She forgot her own birthday; July 27th! _Of course, that's why today felt different, s_he thought.

"Well, thanks very much Remus, and tell Potter thanks, too...I guess." Lily added the last part more reluctantly and took he two boxes from him. "Would you like to come in?"

"Oh, sure, can't stay to long, though, because Mrs Potter's waiting for me to come back..." Remus said as he stepped in. As he did Petunia, who had been spying on them the whole time, walked over, glaring at both of them.

"Why, Lily, Vernon will be arriving soon, make sure your..."friend"...is gone by then, I don't want Vernon seeing the likes of him in this house! Oh, and change out of that outfit before he comes, or stay in your room the whole time!" She spat at Lily, who flinched and murmured a "Okay..." back to her older sister. Remus stared in shock as the sweet, yet tough, Lily Evans he knew was pushed around by her older sister, who obviously had an effect on her.

"Well, I'd better be going, now; don't want to mess up your sister's date with...Vermin? Oh! Sorry, Vernon!" Remus added after looking at Petunia's annoyed face. And with that, Remus Lupin walked out the door, picked up his broom (that was successfully hidden in a bush) and flew off into the clouds.

Lily sighed as she watched him fly away, then she walked up stairs to her bedroom, and waited until "Vermin" left to leave her room.

In three days, just three days, she would get to go to Diagon Alley! She had owled her two friends, Alice and Marlene, and they were meeting her there. Lily flopped back on her bed and fell asleep, dreaming of going back to Hogwarts for her sixth year.

{~*~*~*~}

Finally, August came and Lily was at Diagon Alley, with Marlene and Alice, once again.

They were walking in Mademe Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, when Alice suddenly stopped.

"I'm dating Frank Longbottom!" she squealed, and her two friends joined, too, but they were so caught up in being happy, they failed to notice four others enter the shop.

"Lily!" James hugged her as the Marauders entered the shop. Lily wriggled from his grasp only to be caught be Sirius, who did an over exaggerated replay of James reaction. In her second struggle to get out she bumped into the toned chest of Remus Lupin. He smiled and hugged her also, then proceeded to get fitted. Madame Malkin's called her over (during the greeting her friends had started their fitting) and tried on her new uniform skirts, which were considerably shorter than last year.

"Oi! Alice, Marlene! Is it just me or is this skirt way to short?" She asked them as they came out of their fitting rooms, also in th same short skirts.

"Yeah, its so weird, you'd think they'd only get longer..." Alice replied, trying to see if she could pull her skirt a little lower.

As Alice did this Lily glanced back at the mirror, she was a tall girl, with her long hair pulled in its usual knot at the top of her head. In her seemingly shrunken uniform you could clearly see she had quite the curves, not that her other uniforms before hadn't shown them. She was just trying to button the top few buttons of her blouse (that were showing her bra) when James and Sirius walked over, dressed in their new uniforms. Sirius wolf whistled and nudged James, who turned scarlet, yet couldn't take his eyes off her.

"Oi, Jamesy, I've had some pretty good shags with girls with that size." He wiggled his eyes toward her large bosom. "Mind if I borrow your girl for a bit?" He winked at a seething James and wrapped his arms around Lily's waist.

"Ugh! Black, get your hands off of me, you dog!" This was apparently funny to both the boys, as they burst into hysterics at the comment. When they got over her comment they found she had escaped to the dressing room, where they couldn't reach her.

Quietly as they could, they waited right outside the dressing room. Sure enough, ten minutes later, Lily, dressed in her Petunia approved, curve hiding, muggle clothes came out. Ignoring the boys standing by her door, she went to pay for her clothes.

Noticing her knot of hair, James realized he didn't actually know how long her hair was, and decided to find out. Walking up behind her he removed her hairtie in one swift movement.

Lily's elbow length, auburn hair tumbled down, like a waterfall. He was so caught up in the perfect way that her hair fell, that he failed to notice the furious look on her face. Grabbing her bag and snatching her hairtie back, she stormed from the store, Alice and Marlene following her with their purchases, giving James a look of fury.

Before following them, he thought, _Why didn't she ever wear her hair down?_


	2. Chapter 2

**D****isclaimer: Absolutely nothing you see here is mine. Not even the idea. The characters belong to J.K. Rowling and the idea is all Graci and Cheri. **

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><p><em>Fatal Flaws: Chapter Two<em>

The Marauders followed Lily, Alice, and Marlene to Carlen's Exotic Cat Necessities, and according to the 'Last Chance to get your Exotic Cats' signs, they were going out of business.

As the girls (still not aware they were being followed by four boys) went into the cat filled store, where a frazzled looking lady with short gray hair was selling a striped part Kneazle kitten to a 52-year-old Arabella Figg ("Can I get him a collar that says, Mr. Tibbles?"), Lily spotted a small box that held three kittens in them. The sign above the box read "Kneazle and Cat crossbreeds, guarantied to live up to 50 years!"

Lily picked up the first kitten, it was smaller than the other two and was soft. He had bright green eyes, much like her own, and unlike the other two kittens, which had yellow and amber eyes. Its short fur was reddish brown, and it seemed shy and timid, much like Lily.

Lily tried to put the cat back in the box, but she couldn't stand to put it in there with that fat, gray, yellow-eyed one that reminded her of Petunia. So, she made up her mind, and bought the Kneazle kitten.

When she went over to show Alice she bumped into a muscular wall of Remus Lupin. Blushing furiously, and apologizing, she picked up one of the books that had fallen out of his bag and handed it to him.

"Nice kitten," He said, when her new kitten nuzzled his hand, "What's its name?"

Feeling utterly stupid for not naming her new kitten, she sat there like a goldfish, gaping at Remus.

"Umm…well, I just got her, and…um…I haven't named her yet." Lily looked down embarrassingly at her kitten and Remus picked it up and handed her to Lily.

"It reminds me of an autumn leaf," He stated.

"That's a perfect name! Thanks Remus!" She exclaimed happily, using it as an excuse to hug him.

"Well, I better go, my friends are waiting," He told her, and she realized that Sirius, Peter, and James (the latter glaring at Remus) had watched the whole thing.

Blushing furiously(again), Lily picked up her bag, and Autumn, said a quick goodbye to Remus, and left.

As she quickly left the pet store, she once again ran into someone. This time, it was Alice, who immediately cooed over Autumn.

"Aw, she's so cute! And that name is just adorable! How did you come up with it?" She asked Lily. Lily blushed, thinking about Remus, and filled Alice in with what had happened.

"You two are just so sweet together! I think he likes you, but he obviously knows he'll have to face the wrath of James Potter if he so much as touches you!"

As much as Lily hated to admit it, it was true, James had a bad habit (or, what he called "convenient accidents") of hexing, attacking, or causing any guy who she went out with - which was a total of two! - talked to, or even tutored! The thought of poor Remus losing his friends, especially on full moons -she had discovered this when she found that Remus was a werewolf, and then realized they all disappeared, they were forced to tell her - was absolutely horrifying.

"Oh, your right Alice, poor Remus, he already has his, um, Mother who's ill, and that would be tragic to lose his friends trust too!" Lily exclaimed, for Alice didn't know that Remus was a werewolf.

"Well, come on then! Let's go talk with Marlene about this!" Alice grinned mischievously and dragged a reluctant Lily to where Marlene was waiting for them, still at the pet shop. Marlene agreed with her friends about Remus, and, then, noticing Lily's discomfort of them freely discussing the situation when people could hear them, suggested they go to Diagon Alley's new ice cream shop, Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor.

Sitting between Alice and Marlene and licking her Peach Phoenix ice cream, Lily heard a familiar, once friendly voice.

"You better run, stupid Mudblood!" The slimy voice of Severus Snape rang out across the alley, as a young muggle born ran from him and his group of Death Eater wannabee's. Lily noticed that some of the group were of age, and they had their wands out. With a jolt she realized they must have hexed the muggle born. Leaving her friends, new kitten and ice cream, Lily ran over to where the girl sat, crying alone while Severus and his friends continued to verbally taunt her.

"Hey look! It's a big puddle of mud, eh, Zabini?" Mulciber nudged his friend and pointed to the pretty redhead. Severus immediately froze, she had her back turned and was intently talking to the muggle born they had been taunting. Before he could stop them, Zabini and Mulciber both shot his own personal hex, Sectumsemtra, at his true love. Quick as a flash, James leaped over, pushed Lily out of they oncoming spell and then he turned to face the Wannabee Death Eaters.

"Do you know what you almost did?" he asked, glaring Mulciber down.

"Yeah, we almost got rid of that filth!" Mulciber answered, his cronies jeering.

"If you hurt her, _ever_, in anyway, I will make sure that my father, Minister of Magic, puts you in Azkaban!" And with that, the Wannabee (and a few real) Death Eaters stalked off. James turned to Lily and helped her up.

"Are you alright?" he asked her, her hair falling out of its usual knot. For once she didn't fix it.

"Y-Yes," She said shakily, fringe falling in her face. "Thank you."

James looked at Lily and stared right in her eyes. He saw a little girl who was scared and needed someone. James wrapped his arms around Lily and buried his nose in her long red hair. She smelled like flowers - lilies, to be specific. She was a good head shorter than him, so her head came to his chest. It was like all the dreams he had where he saved Lily and she admitted her love for him. He was of in his own world of Lily, when something brought him back to earth; his shirt was soaked, and Lily was shaking. James realized with a surprise that she was crying. Lily Evans, the unbreakable, the perfect Prefect, was crying.

James was about to say something comforting when Alice, Marlene, and the Marauders found them.

"Lily!" Alice and Marlene screamed, taking her away from James and, even thought there were only two of them, somehow made a human wall around her. Realizing that the "moment" he had was over; he turned to his friends, a smile on his face. Sirius looked at his best mates face and laughed.

"Prongs, what happened? You just ran off!" Sirius shook his friend by his shoulders.

"I hugged Lily," James smiled dreamily. Sirius burst out laughing.

"Erm, good job?" Remus said, patting James on the back. Peter came up and shook his hand.

James felt a light tapping on his shoulder and turned around to see Lily, with her friends behind her and the kitten back in her arms, looking a little pink in the face from crying, and her hair was still down.

"Hi Lily!" He said, smiling very widely.

She looked quite bashfully at him, then said, "Thanks James, for saving my life… but you didn't really have to threaten them with your dad and all; I'm not worth it," And with that, Lily, Alice, and Marlene walked past him, each saying hello to Remus and then going into Quality Quidditch Supplies store - for Marlene's sake.

James looked down at the ground and saw Lily's hair tie. He picked it up and put it in his pocket. _It would do her some good to have her hair down_, he thought to himself.

Marlene darted around the Quidditch shop, ooing at the new Nimbus 1007s and looking at the improved color changing Quaffle's. While she was staring at the practice snitches - which you throw or enchant at others so they can catch them - the Marauders walked in.

Sirius, being the sneaky man he is, snuck up behind Marlene as she was going through a basket of the practice snitches, looking for a purple one. He tickled her sides and she threw the basket in the air out of shock. Lily, being beside her, used her abnormally fast reflexes to catch every single one of the little colorful balls and place them back in the basket. Everyone gaped at her, especially the newly named Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, James Potter.

"What? Did you want me to let them fly around?" She asked, wondering what was so shocking.

"Sirius, I think I just found Gryffindor's new seeker." James said in awe.


	3. Chapter 3

**D****isclaimer: Absolutely nothing you see here is mine. The characters belong to J.K. Rowling and the idea is all Graci and Cheri.**

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><p><em>Fatal Flaws: Chapter Three<em>

Three hours, an agreement, and a long drive home later; Lily Evans sat on her bedroom floor. She couldn't believe she had just agreed to try out for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Sure, she had abnormally fast reflexes, but that was from Petunia throwing so many breakable things at her, if she didn't catch them and they broke, she would be to blame.

Stroking her cat, as she lay on her fluffy green rug, a hand-me-down from Petunia, she heard a tapping sound on her window. Rolling over reluctantly she got up and looked out the window.

A brown speckled owl was carrying an envelope, and waiting patiently outside her window.

Lily didn't recognize the owl; she had never seen one like it. He was a cream color, with dark brown spots all over him. Wondering whom the letter was from, Lily opened it curiously.  
><em><br>_Dear Loveliest Lily,_  
><em>WAIT! Don't throw this letter away, please read it! Please! <em>_

Lily stopped, as she had just been about to throw it away, knowing it was from James.

_Really, just listen or read, rather. Okay, Marlene and Alice are staying at my house (along with the Marauders) for one week. Will you please come? Please? I'd get on my knees and offer you flowers, but…you can't see that through a letter.__  
><em>Anyway, Quidditch: The tryouts are the first week of school on Tuesday. Don't worry about making the team; you're a shoe in, especially since I'm Captain. *wink, wink*<em>_

Lily rolled her eyes, chuckling weakly at his attempt at a joke.

_So, I'll see you there, right?__  
><em>Love, James<em>_

Lily shook her head. What was with this boy thinking he was in love with her? He was very sweet in Diagon Alley the other day, though.

She sighed, picking up some parchment, ink and a quill and writing James a letter back.

_Potter,__  
><em>I thought about it and I decided I don't want to play Quidditch. It's just not my thing. Sorry.<em>  
><em>Lily<em>_

He doesn't need to know the truth, Lily thought to herself, sending the letter back with James's owl, which was waiting for her.

Lily, on the contrary, did want to play Quidditch, especially as Seeker. The moment he offered her the spot she knew it would be fun, there was just one problem: Lily didn't know how to fly. She had always wanted to learn, but the day of their flying lesson in First year Lily had gotten sick and never learned.

Lily watched the owl disappear into the night before going to sit on her bed.

If only she knew how to fly, then she could just say yes and leave it at that. Now she would have to admit it to James that she didn't know how, unless he just decided to make an assumption.

This, really, would probably be even worse.

Lily jumped as an owl tapped on her window. It was James's owl. She walked over and opened the window, letting the owl fly in.

She opened the letter and read:

_Lily-Pad,_  
><em>Are you kidding? You're going to be amazing! I know what the real problem is; you're scared aren't you? Scared you aren't going to make the team? Well, don't worry, you'll make it no problem. I'm the team captain, so I get to pick who makes the team and I already decided to pick you.<em>  
><em>Love, James<em>

He thought she was afraid she wasn't going to make the team?

Lily laughed out loud.

Little did he know how wrong he was, she was afraid she _would_ make the team!

Lily sucked on her quill, trying to decide what to write back. She wouldn't tell him she didn't know how to fly.

She got an idea, taking the quill out of her mouth and writing,

_Potter,_  
><em>I am not afraid of anything, got that? I just don't want to fly around on a stupid broomstick playing a stupid game.<em>  
><em>Lily<em>

_There, that'll show him_, Lily thought smugly, rolling up her note and tieing it to the owl's leg.

The owl flew out into the night sky. This time she kept her window open, knowing that the owl would be coming back again any minute.

_Wait, how close does James live? Because that last letter came really fast, _she thought to herself.

It didn't make much sense.

After a few minutes, the owl swooped gracefully into her room.

Lily ripped open the letter, reading the contents quickly.

_Lily Evans,_  
><em>Are you scared of flying? I can't believe it! You are, aren't you? <em>  
><em>James<em>

She was not scared! Didn't she just say that?

_Potter,__  
><em>I just told you I'm not scared of anything, so why would you assume I was afraid? I am not scared of flying, I just don't know how. You happy now? You know my stupid secret. I don't know how to fly. I never learned. Okay? Got that? You happy now? You better not tell anyone, because, if you do, I swear on my Grandfather's grave that I will make you pay. No one is supposed to know, got that? You don't EVER tell ANYONE! Not even the Marauders, or whatever you call yourselves.<em>  
><em>NEVER TELL ANYONE, GOT THAT?<em>  
><em>Lily<em>_

Lily read over the letter and noticed that she over reacted just a bit. She ripped it up and got a new piece of parchment.

_Potter,__  
><em>I'm not afraid of flying. On the contrary, I would love to fly, I just don't know how. I was sick that day in First Year when they taught us how to fly, remember? Well, maybe you don't, actually. It was a rather long time ago.<em>  
><em>Anyway, I'm not going to play because I refuse to make a fool of myself.<em>  
><em>Lily<em>_

Lily tied the letter to the owl's leg and sent him along. Now maybe she would leave him alone.

_Lily flower,__  
><em>Oh, man. I completely forgot that you missed that lesson! That doesn't matter, though; you're never too old to learn! I'll teach you.<em>_

Lily choked on her own spit. Potter was going to teach her to fly? He'd probably kill her!

_Stop choking; you know I'm good at flying._

How did he know she was choking? Lily looked around, scared.

_No, I'm not in the room with you, so stop looking around. _

Lily squeaked in fear. How did he know what she was doing?

_And stop squeaking, it sounds funny. _

Lily's mouth fell open in shock. Did he really know her that well?

_Lily, I've been in love with you for four years, of course I know you that well. And close your mouth._

Lily was getting seriously scared, but she closed her mouth, just deciding to read the rest of the letter.

_That's better.__  
><em>Anyway, you know I'm good at flying and I've helped you tutor those kids before, remember?<em>_

Yes, that time when he wasn't supposed to be there! He had proved himself to be a very good teacher, though.

_You do remember, don't you? It made you really mad, but I was just trying to help, I swear.__  
><em>I'm getting off topic. I'll teach you how to fly and you'll be a pro by tryouts, okay? Come over my house tomorrow morning, 10 o'clock. Sirius, Peter and Remus might come over at some time, too, so they might be able to help out.<em>_

Remus was going to be there? Lily grinned. She would get to see Remus again before the school year!

_Alright, I'll see you tomorrow.__  
><em>James<em>_

There was another note in there with his address in it. Lily stared at the letter for awhile before making up her mind.

_James,__  
><em>Alright, I'll be there. See you tomorrow,<em>  
><em>Lily<em>_

She sent the letter off with the owl and then went to lie on her bed. She was going to need some sleep if she was going to be spending all morning with James tomorrow.


	4. Chapter 4

**D****isclaimer: I don't own the characters, J.K. Rowling does. I just use her brilliant characters to write my very amateur story.**

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><p><em>Fatal Flaws: Chapter Four<em>

"Alright, grab the broom." James instructed, standing next to the broom I was sitting on, "No, there." He pointed to a different spot then I had my hands, "No, not there, there," he pointed to a different spot, "No, there."

"This is stupid," I said, dismounting the broom and throwing it on the ground. "I'm just not going to play."

James picked up the broom and handed it to me patiently, "Just try again, Lily. I know you'll get it."

I stared at him for a minute before taking the broom, "You know, for someone with such a big head, you do have incredible patience."

"I spend all day with Sirius, of course I have patience," James said in mock-seriousness. "Now, get on."

I threw my leg over the broomstick, wrapping my fingers tightly around it.

"There you go," James said with a grin, "Now, push off of the ground."

"Before I go up I would like to know how to get down," I said, tensing myself for takeoff.

"Oh, right," James said, "Just lean forward slightly and you'll come back down."

I nodded, "Lean forward, got it."

I tensed myself to kick off, but couldn't do it. My legs would almost push off, but I would always stop myself.

"Its okay, Lily," James said, "Don't be afraid."

"I - I'm not afraid," I stammered. I scowled at my own fearfulness, clearing my throat and saying firmly, "I'll be fine."

"You really will, Lily. You'll be fine," James said, taking a step away from me.

I nodded, staring at my feet. _I'm going to kick off...NOW_! My feet really did kick off the ground, sending me a few feet into the air.

"Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh," I said, closing my eyes tightly. I peeked out slowly and my broom was perfectly still, just floating. James was grinning at me.

Slowly, I smiled back. "This is kind of fun."

"You haven't even started flying, yet," James said, laughing. "Tilt the broom where you want to go and lean way down on the broom to go fast."

I nodded, tilting the broom up and laying flat on it. I shot up into the sky. Once I got pretty high, I straightened my broom, making it float in mid-air. I looked down at James, but he was too far away for me to see the expression on his face. He looked almost like an ant.

Good thing I'm not afraid of heights.

I heard James calling my name faintly and leaned forward slightly, making the broom descend slowly. I sighed, this was taking too long. I stopped and pointed the broom at the ground, leaning flat on the broom again, but this time shooting towards the ground.

"PULL UP!" James screamed. I wasn't close enough to the ground; I would have to wait to go down slightly if I pulled up now.

I should really work on my patience. It might save my life someday.

Once I was about ten feet from the ground, I pulled up. The broom floated right next to James, who was shaking his head and grinning at me.

"You're a brilliant flyer, but you should really be more cautious," he said.

I shrugged and beamed, "Where's the fun in that?"

A mischievous smirk spread over James's face and I suddenly knew I had said the wrong thing.

"Well, then, Lily, you want to have fun?"

Now, this is very embarrassing, but I kind of gulped a little. I really, truly did. I was that scared of what his crazy mind was planning. This guy did have _Sirius Black_ as a best friend, after all.

"Actually," I said with a forced laugh, "I just want to practice. You know, because I have to get better if I'm going to make the team. I've got an diea, how about you throw some of the snitches and I'll catch them. I think that sounds like fun, don't you?"

I was kind of rambling, but that's the thing I do when I get really scared. It's a dead giveaway to my feelings, but I just can't stop myself. It's like I'm diseased or something.

James smirked and said, "Okay, if that's what you want to do. What I had planned was a lot more fu-"

"No, that's what I want to do," I interrupted, "I'm positive."

James shrugged. "Okay, fly up there, then."

I flew up a little ways, not going as high as I did last time. I stared down at James and waited for him to throw the snitch.

We played this game for about half an hour and I didn't miss a single one. Why hadn't I played this game sooner?

Oh, yeah, because I didn't know how to fly, that's why.

When I flew back down James was grinning at me.

"You're amazing! Gryffindor will win for sure this year with you on our team!"

Is winning all boys think about? Seriously, it's so dumb. There is way more important things in life.

Like my kitten, Autumn. She's adorable! And not just because Remus named her, I loved her way before that. Like, a whole two minutes before that.

I held back rolling my eyes and instead smiled, "By the beginning of the season, I think I'll be pretty good."

"You've already passed pretty good, Lily. Trust me, you're amazing."

I smiled, "I want to fly some more."

"Okay, I'm going to get a drink and then I'll race you," he said.

"Alright," I said, watching him walk into his house and then kicking off from the ground and zooming around the yard.

I can't believe I never did this before

, _it's marvelous. I feel so free._

I flew around James's house a few times before going to the back yard. I grabbed a snitch and threw it into the air, then closed my eyes and spun around three times before going to find it.

It only took me a few minutes. I looked down towards the house to see if James was back. He wasn't, so I threw the snitch again, looping around on my broom so I wouldn't see where it went.

When I was at the upside down part of the loop, I saw Remus and Sirius enter through the gate to the back yard. I squeaked when I saw Remus smile at me and let go of my broom to wave.

_I shouldn't have waved, now he's going to think I'm stupid_, I thought as I fell.

And then I hit the ground.


	5. Chapter 5

**D****isclaimer: I don't own the characters, J.K. Rowling does. I just use her brilliant characters to write my very amateur story.**

* * *

><p><em>Fatal Flaws: Chapter Five<em>

"Do you think she's dead? Because I think she might be dead."

"Shut up, Padfoot, you know she's not dead. Can't you hear the stupid beeping?"

"Yeah, it's kind of driving me crazy."

"You're driving us crazy, so shut up."

My heart leapt. I know that voice! That's Remus.

"What's wrong with her?" James asked, tapping on the machine that had just started beeping like crazy.

_Wow, this is like a scene from one of those cheesy romance movies and I'm the crazy-obsessed-love-struck-girl. I never really thought it would happen to me. Petunia always told me I wasn't the romantic type. _

"Maybe she's having a nightmare," Sirius suggested.

Slowly, I opened my eyes and peeked around. The three Marauder's were sitting around me, James and Remus on the chairs on either side of my bed and Sirius laying across the bed near my feet.

"Um...hello," I said, suddenly feeling very self conscious with them staring at me. I looked down and saw I was in a hospital gown.

_Oh, shoot, these things always open up at the back...and mine is on backwards!_

I quickly grabbed the two sides of the garment and held them together, pulling the blankets that lay on top of me up to my chin. As I did this, I realized my hair wasn't in it's usual bun. Who took out my hair tie?

_Not exactly what I was imagining would happen the second I opened my eyes_, I thought bitterly. Instead, I had imagined Remus telling me that he was so worried and that he never wants to spend a minute apart from me, because he - he loves me.

And he would even have to do that little stutter-hesitation-thing when he said he loves me. Petunia says it makes the whole thing much more romantic.

I came out of my "Remus" daze when I noticed Sirius was laughing at me. James was kind of smiling and Remus was nicely pretending he hadn't seen.

_See why I love him?_

I blushed to the roots of my hair and pretended I couldn't hear Sirius laughing.

"How are you?" Remus asked nicely, trying to talk over Sirius's laughter.

I smiled, "I'm fine. I would like my hair tie back, though."

James reached into his pocket and pulled out the circular band, "Here you go. The Healer's needed to check your head, so they took it out."

"Thank you," I said, reaching out and taking it. I went to put it in my hair, but realized that in order to do that I would have to sit up, and if I sat up, then my gown would open up and they would see...well, everything.

Talk about awkward.

Remus and James seemed to get that I wanted them to leave and stood up.

"We'll go get the nurse," Remus said, smiling at me before leaving the room. James grabbed Sirius by the arm and dragged him out of the room behind Remus.

As soon as they were gone, I sat up. I had to take off the robe to turn it around, but at least I wouldn't have to worry about it anymore. After that, I put up my hair into its usual bun.

How long did it take to find the nurse? I wasn't sure.

I wonder if they told my parents or Tuney. Or Alice or Marlene. I figured they didn't, because, if they had, they would probably all be here by now. Well, maybe not Tuney, but everyone else.

Oh, Tuney. I miss when we used to be best friends, when we used to do everything together.

There was a loud bang at the door and I jumped.

"We're back!" Sirius called. "Can we come in?"

I cleared my throat, pushing all thoughts of Tuney out of my head. I was about to call for them to come in, but got an idea. Tuney always said this wasn't funny, but I was going to see what the Marauders think. If I do something one time it won't make someone not like me, right?

Hopefully not.

I slid under my covers and made a face like I was dead, then I pulled my oxygen thing out - I could breathe without it! - and unplugged all my other stuff, so the heart-thing made a high-pitched "_Eeeeeeeee_" kind of sound.

The door banged open and everyone ran across the room towards me.

"Merlin, she's dead!" I heard James exclaim. Someone came up and slapped my face, I made sure not to move.

"What do we do?" Remus asked frantically.

_Aw! He does care. He's so sweet._

"Run and pretend we didn't know?" I heard Peter say, then the sound of someone hitting the ground.

"We're not running, Pete," Sirius said. "We need to get a Healer or a nurse or something."

"That's what I meant, run and get the nurse and pretend we didn't know about...something...else," Peter trailed off slowly. "I'll go get the nurse."

I heard the sound of feet running out of the room and then silence.

"I didn't even get to tell her I loved her," James said quietly.

"James, you told her that everyday," Sirius reminded him.

"Well, yeah, but I mean seriously tell her and in a case where she actually believes me."

_Aw, James is so nice. He actually loves me. _Guilt washed over me as I realized I was in love with his best mate. I couldn't tell Remus now.

I decided I had enough of playing dead and jumped up at them, screaming, "BLAH!"

They all three jumped. "Lily!"

I laughed at their stunned faces. "That was funny."

"You were _pretending_?" James asked his voice weak, "To be dead?"

I nodded, holding my stomach from laughing so hard.

"That's...not cool," James said, "You almost gave me a heart attack."

"Oh," I said, my face falling as I stopped laughing. "I'm sorry. I thought it would be fun."

They all three shook their heads at me.

"Oh. Sorry."

_Looks like Tuney was right. This really wasn't a good idea._

Then, Sirius burst into loud laughter, "Okay, who are we kidding? That was funny!"

I grinned, laughing quietly. Remus and James laughed a little, but it was clear that they were both still in shock.

Peter burst through the doors just then, a frantic nurse right on his tail.

"What happened?" she exclaimed as she ran through the door. Then, seeing me, she straightened up and glared at Peter. "You told me she was dead."

Peter was staring at me, wide-eyed.

"She must have come back to life," he said, looking confused and somewhat relieved.

The nurse almost growled at him, "She must have come back to life, my butt," she said angrily. "You are in so much trouble, young man. I'm going to call your parents right now, you come with me."

She grabbed his ear and pulled him out of the room, muttering curses and swears under her breath.

"Oh, my Merlin," James said.

Sirius laughed loudly. "Poor Peter. His Mum will kill him."

I laughed, "I'm going home before she gets here."

"I'm with you," Remus and James said, waiting for me to grab my clothes and then following me out of the hospital room, Sirius right behind them.

When we reached the Lobby, Peter's Mum was just coming in, her face absolutely furious.

"Go, go, go," Sirius said, pushing us all to go faster.

The last thing I heard in that hospital was the sound of Mrs. Pettigrew's loud screaming.


	6. Chapter 6

**D****isclaimer: I don't own the characters, J.K. Rowling does. I just use her brilliant characters to write my very amateur story.**

* * *

><p><em>Fatal Flaws: Chapter Six<em>

When I got home I went into my Kitchen to get some lunch. Going to the Hospital really makes one hungry.

"Hey, kiddo," Dad said, smiling at me. "How was the flying lesson?"

"It was fun," I said, grinning as I looked through the fridge.

"Really?" he said, a knowing look in his eyes, "Did you fall off?"

I choked on my own spit. "Wh-what? N-no! Of course not."

He raised an unbelieving eyebrow at me.

"Well, yes, I did, but I swear I'm okay! I don't have cuts of bruises of anything."

He chuckled, "You always were a klutz."

I know most Dad's would be really upset and worrying right now, but my Dad never worries. He was the kind of kid who was always cut up and bruised, he says it builds character. Personally, I don't see how, but he's positive that it does.

Needless to say, I must have a lot of character.

"Thanks for the concern," I said sarcastically, glaring at him as I made a roast beef sandwich.

He grinned and winked at me.

"So what did you do while I was gone?" I asked, cutting my sandwich in half and taking a bite, "Sit around and complain about how much you missed me?"

Dad was about to retort, but he was cut off.

"Ew, Lily, don't talk with food in your mouth!"

I looked over towards the door and saw Petunia. I swallowed my food and smiled apoligetically at her.

"And where's your makeup? You look awful. No one will like you if you don't wear makeup, I told you that," Petunia looked at me disgustedly.

"Petunia, calm down," Dad said, calmly, "She doesn't look awful, I think she looks beautiful."

"Dad, no one likes people who don't wear makeup. It's just a fact," Petunia insisted with an eyeroll.

I put down my sandwich, "It's okay, Dad. She's right, I probably do look awful. I'm going to go upstairs."

"No, Lily," Dad tried to stop me, but I left my sandwich and ran up the stairs.

I put all my usual makeup on and fixed my hair, then I grabbed some different clothes and pulled them on, letting them hang loose around my body. Then I walked back downstairs and into the living room.

Dad shook his head, "You looked better before," then added quickly, "Not that you don't still look pretty, you always look pretty, but...you don't have to look like this."

I smiled at him, sitting on the couch next to him and turning on the TV, flipping through the channels. "Thanks Dad, but I'm better like this."

He shook his head again, but didn't comment, knowing it was useless. Petunia wouldn't lie to me, I knew that.

There was a knock on the door and Petunia came running down the stairs. I heard her open the door, but didn't pay much attention to it. It was probably just Vernon.

I heard my sister giggled and knew it was him. Tuney never giggled unless he was around.

I heard them whisper a few times back and forth and then they walked into the Living Room - Vernon barely fit through the doorway - and sitting on the couch opposite of me.

"Um, hey," I said awkwardly. I wouldn't normally say anything to him, but Tuney was giving me a weird look.

Vernon pretended he didn't hear me and instead said something to Petunia. Normally, this would have upset me, but I was used to it.

I looked over at my Dad, who looked really mad, and made a face. He gave me a forced smile, then got up, shaking, and walked out of the room, muttering something about work he had to do.

I turned on the sports channel and watched the Soccer game. England was up two-nothing.

"Girls don't watch sports, Lily," Tuney said, breaking off of her conversation with Vernon, "Do you want friends?"

"I have friends," I reminded her, but changed the channel anyway.

"I don't like girls who wear a lot of makeup," Vernon said, talking to Petunia. Who, right now, was wearing a ton of makeup.

I tried to hold in my laughter as I expected Tuney to get embaressed.

Petunia didn't look embaressed, though, she just looked over at me. "You shouldn't wear so much makeup, Lily."

"You're the one who told me to!" I exclaimed, "You said no one would like me if I didn't."

Petunia crossed her arms defensively, giving me a warning look, "I never said that. I said you _shouldn't_ wear makeup because no one will like you if you _do_."

"That is not what you said!"

I really couldn't believe she was doing this. Why would she let Vernon change her? She should be able to make her own choices, not let someone else rule her life! What is wrong with her?

I gasped as I realized that's what _I_ was doing, too. I was letting Petunia tell me what to do, when, really, I should have just been doing what felt right. Merlin! And I always laughed at those people who fell for peer pressure, when, really, they should have been laughing at me!

Actually, now that I think about it, they probably were. Oh, but I'll show them. Lily Evans is no longer Petunia Evans little puppet. From now on I'm all me all the time!

"We can talk about this later, Lily," Petunia said, glaring at me. "Now, leave, Vernon and I want to watch a movie."

I stood up, tossing the remote at her before walking to Dad's office, where he would be if he was really doing work.

He looked up when I knocked on the door and smiled at me. He still looked upset, but I could tell he was trying to cover it up. "What's up, kiddo?"

"You're right, Dad," I said, taking a seat across from him. He raised an eyebrow and I explained, "I'm better off without all the makeup and clothes and hair and stuff."

He nodded, "I'm glad you finally see it. I've been watching you do this to yourself for years and it's just not you. You have such a bright personality, you shouldn't cover it up with such ugly clothes."

I nodded, smiling at him, "So, can I have some money to go shopping?"

Dad laughed, pulling his credit card out of his wallet and handing it to me. "Sure, kiddo. Just don't spend too much."

"I promise, Dad," I smiled, kissing him on the cheek before running upstairs to take a shower and get changed.

I think I have at least one good outfit that I can wear.


	7. Chapter 7

**D****isclaimer: I don't own the characters, J.K. Rowling does. I just use her brilliant characters to write my very amateur story.**

* * *

><p><em>Fatal Flaws: Chapter Seven<em>

I walked onto platform nine and three quarters, looking for Marlene and Alice, ignoring as every boy stared at me as I passed.

_None of these boys even glanced at me before and now their oogling. Boys are disgusting._

All the girls were glaring at me enviously. I was just trying my best to ignore everyone. I mean, so what? I changed my look, shoot me. I bet I didn't really look that different. Well, except for my no makeup thing, and my hair, and my clothes. I even got a manicure, just because I could.

I was putting my trolley onto the train when I heard someone whistle and turned to raise an eyebrow at the boy behind me.

"Can I help you?"

"You're hot," he said, his eyes wide as he looked up and down my body.

I would have been flattered if he hadn't been looking at me so perversely. Well, that and I hate it when boys call girls hot. Pretty and beautiful have so much more meaning.

I scowled, "I'm gonna go find my friends."

I hadn't seen Alice and Marlene since Diagon Alley and they were yet to see my new _look. _Petunia was sure shocked when she saw me.

_"What are you wearing? And why is your hair down? And where is all your makeup?" she had asked really fast. _

_I gave her a half-smile, shrugging. "I decided that I needed a new look. I didn't really like the other one."_

_"You won't get any friends looking like that," she said, crossing her arms over her chest and looking over me disgustedly. _

_I looked down at my outfit, it sure looked a lot better than my what I was wearing before. I was wearing skinny jeans, a blue plaid shirt with a plain blue tank top underneath. My red hair was down and just brushing my waist and I had put a blue headband in my hair. My face was free of makeup. _

_"I have friends, Petunia," I reminded her forcibly. "And if they were friends with me when I was your little puppet, I know they'll still be friends with me now."_

_She gasped at me, but I just walked away. I was so done with her._

I didn't mean to be so mean, but I'm really mad at her for lying to me since, well, forever, I guess. I don't even know why she did it. I know standing up to her made me feel a lot better, even though Petunia hasn't talked to me since.

I stepped onto the train and walked down the hall, looking for Marlene and Alice's compartment. I walked past the Marauder's compartment and blushed as I saw Remus reading his book. I thought about going to say hello, but decided against it, not wanting to seem too love-struck.

"Bloody Merlin," James and Sirius exclaimed as they threw their compartment door open. Both of them were gaping at me.

"Um, hey," I said, waving a little and blushing.

Sirius and James suddenly reached out and grabbed my arms, pulling me into their compartment. I flew through the door and landed on Remus's lap.

"I'm s-sorry, Remus," I stuttered, blushing as bright as my hair.

Remus smiled at me, "It's alright, Lily. It wasn't really your fault."

"What the bloody hell happened to you?" Sirius asked, his jaw on the floor.

"You look beautiful," James said sweetly, grinning at me.

See? James knows how to compliment a girl. . . Wow, I never thought I'd actually be saying that about James Potter.

I blushed. "Thank you," I said, giving him a smile. "I decided to change my look. The old one was so..."

"Ugly?"

I shrugged, not even bothering to glare at Sirius. I knew he was right. "Yup, pretty much."

Remus chuckled.

"Well, it's your lucky day, because, since you look so hot, you can sit with us," Sirius said, leaning back against his arms and folding his legs on the bench across from him.

James grinned at me, "This is a very prestigious honor, you know."

I was glad the Marauder's hadn't changed their attitude towards me (well, besides the fact that none of them could stop staring). They knew it was still me, just more..._me _now. It made me feel sure that I had done the right thing.

"You mean its kidnap," I said, rolling my eyes. "I'm going to find my friends."

"Oh, no you're not, Miss Lilykins," Sirius said, pulling me back when I tried to leave and plopping me on the bench next to him. "You're going to sit with us and have a great time!"

I huffed impatiently. "I'll give you five minutes."

"By the end of those five minutes you won't ever want to leave," James promised, grinning.

I turned away from them and towards Remus and Peter, "How are you two?"

Hey, I didn't stutter that time when addressing Remus - I'm making progress!

"I'm fine, how are you?" Remus said politely.

"I've been better," I made a face at James and Sirius, who grinned and shrugged. "How are you, Peter?"

"Me? Oh, I'm okay," Peter stumbled over his words, "You - you look nice today."

I smiled at him, blushing faintly, "Thanks, Pete, you, too."

I mentally cringed after I said that. It was the wrong thing to say, especially when you're with the Marauder's.

James and Sirius burst out laughing, Peter blushed to his hairline and Remus got an amused smile on his lips.

My stomach flipped. Not because I was embarrassed, but because Remus looks really cute when he smiles. It was almost unbearable.

"Oh, shoot," Remus said, looking down at his watch, "I have to patrol," he got up and walked to the door, "I'll see you mates later. Bye, Lily."

"Bye, Remus," I said, maybe too eagerly, but at least no one said anything.

Remus waved and walked out of the compartment.

We sat in awkward silence for a bit, I rocked back and forth in my seat and thought of Remus...and James. And how James loved me, but how I liked Remus, not him. I actually felt really bad about the whole situation, which was weird, because I normally didn't care about what Potter felt, although, now that I knew he loved me that did change everything.

Oi, life is confusing.

"I'm going to find the snack cart," Peter said suddenly, standing up. "Anyone want anything?"

"Get me two of everything," Sirius said, reaching in his pocket and pulling out a handful of galleons and sickles which he handed it to Peter.

Peter nodded, then turned to me and asked nervously, "Want anything, Lily?"

"No, thank you," I smiled. "I'm leaving in three minutes, anyway."

Peter nodded. "James, you want anything?"

Sirius gave James a look, to which made a face and nodded, seeming a little eager, but also upset. I watched them curiously, but they both acted like nothing had happened.

"I'll come with you, Pete," James said, "You'll need some help carrying stuff and," his voice dropped to a whisper, "I don't want you to get lost again."

I turned my laugh into coughing and looked out the window so they wouldn't see my face. I forgot completely about the little exchange between James and Sirius.

"Are you okay, Lily?" Peter asked anxiously.

"I'm, um," I coughed, "I'm fine, Pete. Thanks."

"Okay," He said, and then James and Peter got up to leave. "Bye, Lily," Peter said, turning around and accidentally bumping into James. "Sorry, James!"

"It's alright, Pete," James laughed lightly, "See ya later, Evans."

"Bye, Potter," I said, then waved at them as they left.

Sirius and I sat in silence for a while.

"Are you still going to keep me here?" I asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

"Yup," Sirius said, popping the 'p.'

"Fantastic," I sighed, leaning into my seat and watching the rolls of hills fly by through the window.

The compartment was silent again, one minute until I get to leave.

"Lily," Sirius said suddenly, making me jump. "I know your secret."

I turned towards him slowly, trying to play it cool, "What secret?"

Word of advice, when you're trying to "play it cool" make sure your voice doesn't crack. It really doesn't help.

Sirius rolled his eyes, "I know you don't like James."

"...okay?" I said, relief coursing through me. "I didn't think that was a secret."

"It's not," he said, "but I know who you do like."

"What are you talking about?" I answered quickly, looking away from him. "I don't like anyone."

"Yes, you do," Sirius said. "You don't have to be embarrassed about it. A lot of girls like me, I'm quite popular. I mean, I didn't really think you were that into me until recently. Whenever I'm around you always act...weird, I don't know. Like the other day when you fell off your broom. Anyway, you don't have to be embarrassed."

By the end of Sirius's little speech, I was bent over on my seat laughing, tears streaming down my eyes. Sirius thought I liked him!

I looked at Sirius and saw his face was twisted in confusion and...what kind of looked like hurt.

I stopped laughing. "I'm sorry, Sirius, I'm not laughing at you. I'm just - I don't like you. I like Re-" I cut off fast, "Ra-Ro-Ravenclaw dude." I stuttered out, trying my best to smile innocently.

"_Oh_. _My_. _Bloody_. _Merlin_," Sirius gasped, all traces of pain and confusion gone from his face and replaced with straight out amazement and shock. "YOU LIKE REMUS!"

"Sirius, I do not like Remus, you hear me?" I whispered quietly, covering his mouth with my hand. "Shut up and don't say anything about this conversation to anyone, understand?"

Sirius nodded. I took my hand off his lips. "OH MY MERLIN! I CAN'T BELIEVE TH-"

"Shut up!" I exclaimed, my hand back over his lips. His tongue reached out and licked my hand. "Ew, why would you do that?"

He didn't hear my, though, because he was back to screaming, "I REALLY, TRULY CAN'T BELIEVE THIS! JUST WAIT 'TIL I TELL JAMES...OR REMUS! OH MY MERLIN, WAIT UNTIL I TELL REMUS!"

"Sirius, will you please at least stop screaming about this and talk like a normal, nice, peaceful human being? Please? I really don't want the whole train to know my business."

"Alright, fine, I'll stop screaming," Sirius huffed. "Oh, no," he said, his face falling, "Poor Jamesie. He's been in love with you forever, it's going to kill him that you love his best friend."

"I'm not really planning on telling him," I admitted quietly.

He gaped at me, "Are you kidding me? You need to tell him! He deserves to know."

"Which one?" I asked, hoping he would say Remus so I didn't have to tell James.

"Both!" He exclaimed, "And if you don't do it, I swear on my broom that_ I_ will."

"Are you blackmailing me?" I asked, scooting away from him on the bench and staring at him in shock.

"You bet your broom I am," Sirius said with a grin. He was obviously enjoying his new power over me.

"I don't have a broom," I reminded him.

"That's not the point. The point is, I'm blackmailing you, and there's nothing you can do about it," he grinned smugly.

I crossed me arms over my chest, "Can I go now?"

"Sure," he said, gesturing towards the door, "Go right ahead."

"Good," I snipped, getting up and opening the compartment door.

"And, Lily," Sirius said with a smug smirk, "You have until Halloween to tell them, otherwise I do."

I can't believe he's actually serious about this.

"Fine," I growled, giving one last glare at Sirius, who's smirk grew to the point where it might have cracked his face in two, before slamming the door shut, then walking to join my friends.

I had a lot to tell them.


	8. Chapter 8

**D****isclaimer: I don't own the characters, J.K. Rowling does. I just use her brilliant characters to write my very amateur story.**

* * *

><p><em>Fatal Flaws: Chapter Eight<em>

"He's blackmailing you?"

"No, you have to be joking," Marlene said, then got distracted, "By the way, I love your shirt. Can I borrow it sometime?"

"Marlene," I groaned, "You're missing the point! If I don't tell Remus _and_ James that I have a crush on Remus then Sirius is going to tell them, and, knowing Sirius, he's probably going to make it into some big thing that it's not."

". . . So I can borrow the shirt?"

"If you help me, I'll let you borrow any of my clothes."

Marlene nodded, "Deal."

"Ooh, me too!"Alice said, grinning.

"Sure, whatever," I said, "Just help me!"

Alice nodded, a gleam in her eyes.

"So, what should I do about Sirius?" I asked, placing my head in my hands and tapping my foot nervously.

Alice's eyebrows were knitted together as she chewed her lip softly. "I don't know what to do," she finally admitted, sighing hopelessly. "I don't think there's anything we _can _do. I mean, Sirius Black isn't a force to be reckoned with."

Marlene stared at her like she was crazy. "What do you mean there's nothing we can do? There has to be something Sirius doesn't want everyone to know, and _that _is exactly what we need to find out," she said smugly, a smirk gracing her pretty face.

"And then we threaten to tell everyone if he tells them about my secret," I finished, beaming at her. "That could actually work."

Marlene nodded, her eyes twinkling.

"So we're fighting blackmail with blackmail, eh?"Alice said, nodding.

"Nope," Marlene said, "We're fighting _Black_mail with _Marlene_mail," she grinned mischievously as Alice and I rolled our eyes. "We just have to investigate."

* * *

><p>The rest of the train ride consisted of Marlene, Alice and I trying to think up anything that Sirius Black wouldn't want people to know. When we got to Hogsmeade, we still had no idea what Sirius wouldn't want people to know about him.<p>

"Sirius Black can not be so indestructible,"Alice sighed. Then, as if he had heard us, the door snapped open and Sirius Black himself strutted in.

"Hello, ladies," he said smoothly, grinning at us, "I just came to have a chat with my friend Lily, here."

I smiled at him with fake warmth, "What do you want, Sirius? We can talk when we get to Hogwarts."

"But I want you to sit in my carriage," Sirius said, pulling his suitcase behind him with one hand, and using his other hand to grab mine and pull me along behind him. I grabbed my suitcase quickly and jogged along behind him, giving Marlene and Alice a shrug and a look that said '_I'm not very happy about this._'

"That better not be some perverted joke you and your friends dreamed up," I grumbled, giving him a look to show him I wasn't joking.

He barked out a laugh, "I assure you, it's not. I simply meant that you and I are going to ride in a carriage to Hogwarts together. Merlin, get your mind out of the gutter, Evans."

I ignored his last comment. "Why do I have to sit with you? I want to go back with Marlene and Alice!"

I tried to turn back to them, but Sirius' grip on my hand tightened, not allowing me to go more than two feet.

"Ah, ah, ah, Evans," he said, tsking at me like I was a small toddler he was punishing for taking a cookie out of the cookie jar. "Do you want everyone to know about you're little . . . _crush_?"

A few giggling girls next to us, stopped and looked over at me excitedly, then started whispering amongst each other. I blushed scarlet.

"I hate you so much," I growled, but followed him to the carriages, anyway. We joined Remus, James and Peter in their carriage. Sirius was grinning, Peter looked confused, and Remus and James looked anxious and uncomfortable. I was fuming, crossing my legs and arms and refusing to look at any of them.

"Sorry about that, mates," Sirius said, "Evans just _insisted _on joining our party. She says we're all going to make friends over the semester, didn't you, Lily?"

I glared at him, opening my mouth to tell him that I had absolutely no intention of 'making friends' with any of them - except maybe Remus, but there I wanted to be more then just friends - but Sirius gave me a look that made me reconsider.

"Of course I did," I said with a little too much enthusiasm, plastering a fake smile on my face as happy thoughts of Sirius getting run over by this carriage filled my mind. "That sounds _just_ like me," I muttered sarcastically under my breath, making James, who was sitting directly across from me, snort and look away, grinning.

I almost smiled.

"So, Lily, how was your summer?" Peter asked nicely, after a minute of awkward silence.

I mulled over this summer's events in my mind; getting a new kitten, changing my look, leaving the evil clutches of my sister.

"It's been very productive," I finally said, giving him a small smile. "How about your Summer?"

"It was okay," Peter said, shrugging.

I nodded, looking at the carriage behind ours, where Marlene and Alice where waving at me feverishly. I gave them a small, two-fingered wave, laughing as I saw Alice try to jump out towards me, but Marlene pulled her back in to the carriage.

"You have weird friends," James commented, laughing at my best friends antics. He suddenly stopped laughing andlooked at me nervously, "No offense."

I nodded at him, laughing as Marlene tackled Alice into the carriage, making them disspear from view. "I know; they are crazy."

James smiled at me, nodding his head.

* * *

><p>When we got to Hogwarts, I hopped out of the carriage and waited for Alice and Marlene, telling the boys to go ahead and sit without me.<p>

"We'll save you a seat!" Sirius called behind him as the joined the throng of students walking through the doors.

"Make it three," I said. I wasn't going to sit through the whole feast without Marlene and Alice - I always sat with at least one of them.

When Marlene and Alice's carriage finally stopped in front of me, I helped them with their suitcases, and then we started towards the castle.

"Lily, this is perfect," Marlene said, grinning at me.

"No, it's not! I don't want to spend my year at Hogwarts hanging out with the Marauders," I said, my nose crinkling in distaste just at the very thought. "How is this perfect in anyway?"

"Because, if you spend all your time with them, then you'll get to know them better," Marlene explained.

Alice nodded, "Yes, that is true, Marlene. You are just so smart."

Marlene ignored her.

"And if you get to know Sirius better, then you can find out his secrets - and then we can blackmail him back!" she finished, grinning triumphantly at her plan.

My eyes widened, "Oh! That's brilliant. Let Sirius think he's calling the shots, but, really, he's helping me blackmail him back."

"That could work,"Alice said, her eyes twinkling brightly. "Plus, you'll get to spend some quality time with Remus!"

I laughed as she waggled her eyebrows at me.

"That's just a bonus," I said, grinning like a madwoman.

"Our plan is foolproof," Marlene said proudly, "Once again, I, the brains of this bunch, have come up with another excellent plan, with no help, whatsoever, from either of you two."

I pushed her over playfully, "Bugger off, Mar. I come up with some pretty great plans."

She shrugged, unconvinced. "Your plans are amateur, at best."

I ignored her. "They're saving us seats, so we can sit with them." I said, making a face.

"Perfect!"Alice exclaimed, "Like they say; keep your friends close, and your enemies closer."

". . . I wouldn't go so far as to say they're the enemy," I said, "More like people we're not really friends with, but don't really hate them, either."

Marlene rolled her eyes at me, "Whatever, Lily. Let's just go sit with them - we only have 'till Halloween to find out Sirius' secret. Hopefully less, if we can manage it."

"I just hope he doesn't find out what we're planning, and tell James and Remus early," I said.

"I don't think he will,"Alice said, "We can be pretty sneaky when we want to be."

Marlene nodded, "That is true."

"Let's go eat," I sighed, pulling them faster, "I'm starved, and I don't want to miss the sorting."


End file.
